In Memoriam

Via the LRT discussion list comes word that JPFO founder Aaron Zelman died on December 21. I wasn’t fortunate enough to meet him in person, but did communicate with him a few times. His energy and creativity were palpable even in email. He will be sorely missed ... and I hope JPFO continues their important work. My condolences to Aaron’s family and friends.

Sparky Anderson died today. He was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds when I became a fan ... and just as I thought The Big Red Machine would never be broken up, I couldn’t conceive of the Reds having any other manager. When he was fired, and the team started splitting apart, some of my youthful naïveté dissolved as well.

Just in from the LRT discussion list:

SPECIAL EDITION

JAMES P. HOGAN DIES AT AGE 69
======================
We are saddened to report the passing of James P. Hogan at the age of 69.

Jim was alone at his home in Ireland when he died suddenly yesterday, July 12, 2010.

The precise cause of Jim's death has not yet been determined, nor is the exact time known.

We are in touch with the family and will release further information as it becomes available.

Tim Gleason
Sysadm, JamesPHogan.com

This Newsletter has been posted to: www.jamesphogan.com/mailarchive/index.php?issuenumber=59

Wow, am I feeling old now ... Ronnie James Dio died today. He may have been the man who led me to heavy metal, even though for the longest time I couldn’t remember his name.

On April 01, 2010, I attended the funeral for USMC Lance Corporal Jacob Allen Ross, 19 years old, married just 6 months, killed in action in Afghanistan... the son of one of our FSW members.

Thousands, all across Wyoming, had come out to the route to honor this young man on Wednesday as he was brought from the airport to Gillette. Every possible FSW member was there in Gillette (along with many hundreds of others).

That’s right: Patrick McGoohan died yesterday. I know he had other roles (but I didn’t recognize him as King Edward I in Braveheart), but like so many other fans, for me he was iconic as #6.

I just now learned of Chris’ death on January 10th—having never learned he was ill. This is quite a shock.

I just learned, via “cls”, that Marshall Fritz passed away last night. He’s another person I should’ve mentioned yesterday; I covered both the Advocates for Self-Government and Alliance for the Separation of School and State as a Free-Market.Net editor (the first of those links currently has a tribute to Marshall at the home page, with links to more information about his life).

My first in-person exposure to him came at the Freedom Summit to which we were both invited to participate. As I recall, the bulk of his contribution was in support of religion, yet in doing that he didn’t come across as condemnatory of those who didn’t believe. I was impressed by his sincerity and passion, even though I didn’t agree with that particular message.

Most individuals have probably come across his most famous bit of writing, perhaps without even knowing it: he wrote the World’s Smallest Political Quiz. For that alone—although he did much more to advance the cause of liberty—Marshall is truly one of the giants of our time. My condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

Bill Melendez—the man who gave Snoopy and all the Peanuts characters life—has died. He was the only person Charles Schulz allowed to animate them. I recognized the last name from other cartoons, but until reading that obit had no idea he’d worked on so many of the cartoons I enjoyed as a kid. Fantasia remains one of my favorite animated movies. It was that kind of quality work—and the relative intelligence of the cartoons back in those days, compared to newer ones—that led me to stop watching American-made cartoons several years ago. I have found some anime well worth watching, but that said, it’s much more for the very interesting story lines than the animation quality (although that exceeds the snippets of American cartoons I’ve caught).

Anyway, Melendez and Mendelson are familiar names from my misspent youth ... and now I’m wanting to find some of those lush Disney films and older cartoons for enjoying again. Maybe even with the snolfs, although they probably aren’t old enough to grok what I see in the older ‘toons.

I didn’t know Vince Miller very well on a personal level, despite working fairly closely with him at Free-Market.Net. But that experience—along with others, of course—truly revealed the measure of the man. It’s still very difficult to try to put all my rambling thoughts together, particularly since front and center is my keen pain at not having let Vince know what I think of him ... but it’s important to me to try.

From “cls” via email:

Vince Miller died this morning at approximately 8:15. Per his instructions he will be cremated. Vince asked that no formal funeral be held. A celebration of his life will be held at a future date. In lieu of cards or flowers those wishing to honor him are asked to contribute to Vince's life cause, the International Society for Individual Liberty. The most appropriate way to show appreciation for Vince is to do something for liberty. It was his passion and his great love.

I expected this very sad news, but even so, can’t collect my thoughts to say something more personal now. Cls has a fitting but brief tribute up.

As I recently was, I just learned that J. Orlin Grabbe passed away a couple of months ago. I don’t know much about the inside goings-on of the Costa Rica group of which Laissez Faire City Times was part, but Orlin always seemed straightforward with Lobo and me. And his web site was eclectic, even for an Erisian individualist! Orlin will be missed.

I have not been avoiding making note of H. Ben’s death several days ago ... rather, I’ve been quiet because I haven’t quite known what to say. Today, his family is hosting a memorial celebration of his life; and while I would like to attend in person with his many other friends, this will need to do.

I happened to see this report last Friday, but got busy and forgot to comment. Joe Nuxhall has died.

Ira Levin has died. Sure, he’ll be remembered more for Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives, but This Perfect Day is far and away his best novel in my opinion.